Trimming apparatus



April 24, 1945. N. M. OLNEY 2,374,301

TRIMMING APPARATUS I Filed July 4, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 FIG. 4

63 /lvv'E/vrop `N.l4. OL-NEY 25 A EY ATTORNEY AIP 24, 1945- N. M. oLNEY TRIMMING APPARATUS Filed July 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flc. a

lNvE/vro/P N. M- OLA/Ey A TTORNEV Patented Apr. 24, 1945 TRIMMIN G APPARATUS Nathaniel M. Olney, Jersey City, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New l York, N. Y., a corporation of New York applicati@ July 4, 1942, serial No. 449,801

12 Claims.

This invention relates to trimming apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for trimming and removing scrap material from edges of drawn l containers.

Drawn containers formed of sheet metal after passing through the nal drawing operation, have edges which are ofttimes irregular or of a contour undesired for the structure in which the container is to be used. In such instances it is necessary to trim the container to form edges of the desired contour without varying the contour of the remaining portion of the container.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple in construction and highly eicient in trimming articles, particularly metal containers.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a vmandrel for receiving a hollow article having a continuous edge to be trimmed, and lcooperating means to shear material from the continuous edge of the article, shear the 'said material into and hold the adjacent portions of the article firmly against distortion during the shearing operations.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the apparatus, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a schematic View of the operating means for the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially alo-ng the line 3 3 ofl Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line `1l- 1l of Fig 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionalview illustrating the working ends of one pair of units and their association with a mandrel;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the mandrel and the inner ends of the other pair of units;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentarytop plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 6 at a slightly larger scale, illustrating the relative positions of portions of the units during one trimming operation:

accompanying Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail view of the structure shown in Fig. 8 but with the portions of they. units in different positions to illustrate the other or nal trimming operation;

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the article prior to the trimming operation, and

- into and out of position thereon.

Fig. 11 is a perspective View of the article after .the trimming operation.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Figs. 10 and 11`, Fig., 10 illustrating a metal container I5 which in the .present embodiment is the article to be trimmed. The trimming iirst takes place at the edges of the open end of Athe container, removing the materialof the irregular edge .illustrated in Fig. 10 at 16, leaving `the contour as illustrated in Fig. 11, that is. with opposing side walls of the container having their edges I'l lying ina common plane and continuing around* the corners of the container, where they meet with projecting portions l8 having parallel vertical edges and parallel outer edges as shown.

Referring now in general to the structure shown in the other figures, the article l 5 as shown in Fig. 10 is placed upon a mandrel 2U which is formed of a contour similar to the container but is adapted for free movement of thecontainer When the container is mounted upon the mandrel as shown in Fig. 3, suitable mechanism, hereinafter described, will =be actuated to cause operation of units indicated generally at 2l and 22 to hold the adjacent walls of the container against the mandrel, While trimming elements of units indicated generally at 23 and 24 perform their respective trimming operations, after which holding members of the units 23 and 24 will hold their respective sides of the container on the mandrel while trimming elements of the units 2l and 22 perform their nal trimming oper ation.

Considering now'the detailed structure of the apparatus, attention is rst directed to Fig. 1, vwhich illustrates a table 25 upon which an upright member 26 is mounted. Four cylindrical spacing members 21 are disposed at equally spaced positions from the face ofthe upright 26, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. An annular support 28 is disposed adjacent the spacing members .21 and, through the aid of screws 29 (Fig. 3), the support 28 together with the spacing members is secured rigidly to the upright 26, the support 28 being spaced from the upright by the members 21. A cam supporting member 3l), annular in general contour and of the crosssectional structure as illustrated in Fig. 3, is disposed adjacent the support 28 and is provided for interengagement therewith -by an integral annular lip 3| being disposed in an annular recess 32 of the support. Retaining lugs 3'4, disposed at equally spaced positions about the edges of the support 28 and the cam supporting member 30, are rigidly mounted upon the support through the aid of screws 35 and are of angular contour to extend about the edge of the cam supporting member, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to retain the cam supporting member in interengagement with the support yet permit movement thereof relative to the support.

Another cam supporting member 38, annular in contour and similar in size to the cam supporting member 3D, is secured to the member 30 by screws 39 which also pass through spacers 40 and into threaded apertures (not shown) into thecam supporting member 30. The spacers 40, as illustrated in Fig. 1, are disposed at spaced positions throughout the circular contour of the cam supporting members, excepting at a position where a gear segment 42 is disposed to space these members apart, the gear segment serving in one of its functions to assist in spacing the cam supporting members 30 and 38 apart and, through the aid of screws 43, to secure the cam members in their spaced Positions.

'Ihe power means for imparting movement to the cam supporting members 30 and 38 is linked with the gear segment 42 through a rack 45 which is rigidly mounted upon a reciprocable rod 46. The rod 46 is supported for its reciprocable movement in a bearing-like member 41 secured to the upright 26 and mounted upon the table as indicated at 48. The rod 46 may be operatively connected to any suitable means to cause reciprocation thereof at desired time intervals, one illustration being shown in Fig. 2. In this gure there is schematically shown the rod 46, with the rack 45, having its lower end connected to a piston 59 which is in a cylinder 5|. The piston 50 may be of the double-acting type moved in opposite directions by uid under pressure supplied 'to the cylinder through respective uid lines 52 and 53 from a supply, indicated at 54, through the control of a foot operated valve 55. Suitable exhaust lines, not shown, may also be `provided and controlled through the valve 55. The details of this structure are not believed essential for a clear understanding of the invention, as such structures are well known commercially.

Returning now to the cam supporting members and 38, the cam supporting member 30 has cams 58 mounted at desired spaced positions thereon as illustrated in Fig, 1, while the member 38 has cams 59 mounted thereon at positions jacent face of the upright 26 to provide a substantially dovetail groove for a shearing element to conform to the groove. To assure against the binding of the shearing element and its support in the groove and for true line movement of the shearing element during operation of the apparatus, guide strips 18 lare partially embedded in the inner walls of the member 6| adjacent the surface of the element 61. The support 68 has threaded apertures for screws 1| which are disposed in an elongate aperture 12 in the shearing element 61, to serve in varying the relative positions of .the shearing element and the support, or, in other words, to vary the position of the shearing element relative to the mandrel 20. The outer endV of the support 68 is of a contour to rotatably support a cam roller 13 positioned to ride upon the inner surface of the cam supporting member 30 and to be moved by its respective cam 58. A spring 14, disposed in a recess 15 in the upright 26, is adapted through the aid of a pin 11, carried by the support 68 and projecting into the recess, to normally urge the support 68 and its shearing element 61 out'- Wardly and cause the cam roller 13 to ride upon the inner surface of the supporting member 30 and its respective cam when the latter is moved into engagement therewith. The contours of the inner or shearing edges of the various shearing elements 61 are shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive and will be more completely described When attention is directed to these figures..

Attention is again directed to Fig. 4, which illustrates the contour of the inner surfaces of the side members 62 cooperating with the adjacent surfaces of the side member 6| to form a substantially dovetail recess or groove, indicated at 80, to slidably receive an outer controlling portion 8| of a holding member 82. The controlling member 8| is substantially U-shaped' in general contour, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and supports a cam roller 83, at its outer end, adapted similar to the cams 58 but out of alignment therewith. The cams 58 are positioned to actuate cutting elements of their respective units 2| to 24 inclusive, while the cams 59 -are adapted to actuate the holding members of their respective units, through oscillation of the cam supporting members.

Attention is now directed to the structures of the units 2| to 24 inclusive. These units are identical in structure excepting for their Working ends, and these in opposing pairs are of like structure. It is, therefore, believed that a specie description applied to one unit, excepting for the features which differ in the pairs of units, would be suicient for a clear understanding of all of the units. In Fig. 3 units 2l and 22 have been shown in detail. Attention is lrst directed, however, to Fig. 4, which shows pairs of side members 6| and 62 secured to the upright 26 through the aid of screws 63 and pins 64 (Fig. 5). The side members y6| have diagonal surfaces 66 cooperating with each other and with the adto ride upon the inner surface of the cam supporting member 38 and upon its respective cam 59. The controlling portionl is provided with opposing recesses in its inner surfaces, to receive integral tongue portions 86 of the holding member 82 to provide an interlocking connection between the controlling portion of the holding member yet permit relative movement thereof. A pair of springs' 81, with the ends thereof embedded in recesses 88 and 89 of the controlling portion 8| and the holding member 82 respectively, serve to hold the portion and member in their relative positions as shown in Fig. 1. The springs 81 also function as a cushioning means between-the controlling portion and the holding member. Another set of springs 90, embedded in recesses 9| (Fig. 5) of the side pieces 6|, serves to normally hold the controlling portion 8| and thus the holding member 82 outwardly to cause the cam roller 83 to ride upon its respective cam or inner surface of the cam member 38. The inner ends of the springs 88 abut against flat-surfaced members 92 and are held in place by integral portions 93 thereof, while the other ends of the springs abut flat-surfaced pins 94, the latter being carried by the controlling portion 8| and extending into grooves 9|.

Attention is now directed to Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive. Referring rst to the ymandrel 20, itl will be noted that the main or upper portion is of a contour identical with the inner contour of the completed article illustrated in Fig. 11, yet with suiciently smaller dimensions to permit ,free location and removal of containers or articles thereon. Directly beneath the upper or supto their respective shearing edges 91 or 98 and cooperate with shearing edges |00, of the forming portion 95, to shear the scrap portions, removed by the other shearing edges, into smaller pieces, so that they may be readily removed from the apparatus at the completion of the shearingl operations. Attention is directed to the contours of the shearing edges 91 and 90, they being such .that the shearing begins at the center of each side of the article and continues in both directions therefrom and iinally alittle more than half the distance around their corners, the latter resulting from the curved end portions of the shearing edges.

Attention is again directed to Figs. 6 and '7, where it will be observed that a base member |02,

rigidly mounted in a recess |03 in an upright 2S, serves to support the mandrel 20 and the forming portion 95, through the aid of locating and retaining pins |04 and a central screw |05.

The scrap portions shea-red from the article are forced from the apparatus by jets of air applied at convenient locations through the aid of nozzles |01 (Fig. l). The nozzles are shown conveniently located between units 2| to 24 inr-l clusive and are adapted to direct their jets of air to their respective scrap portions to force the portions free of the apparatus. The nozzles |01 are connected to their respective uid lines |08 which communicate in any suitable manner (not shown) to a fluid line |09, the latter being oonnected at a desired interval during the operation of the apparatus to a huid supply line l0 through a valve A cam l2, carried by the cam supporting member 30 through the aid of screws IN and spacing sleeves I5, is movable with the cam supporting member and is adapted to open the valve at the completion of the shearing operations, to cause the air under pressure to pass to and through the nozzles to force the sheared portions from the apparatus.

Upon considering the operation of the apparatus, let it be assumed that the units 2| to 24 inclusive are in their normal positions and that the article or container l5, as shownin Fig. 10, is disposed upon the mandrel 20. The apparatus is now ready for operation and Yupon actuating the valve 55 (Fig. 2) to open` communication between the supply line 54 and the fluid line 52', the piston 50 may be moved upwardly to move the rod in the same direction. The movement of the rod dii will move the rack to cause rotation of the cam supporting membersA 30 and 38 relative to the units. As previously described, the cams 58 and 59 yare so positioned that during the rst portion of the operating cycle the holding members 82 of one pair of units Will be operated to hold the opposite sides ofthe article on the mandrel, while` the intermediate sides of the article have the shearing operations performed thereon during the actuation o the shearing elements of thel other pair of units. As illusother, moving therewith, against the force of the springs 81', their respective holding anembers until the engaging ends thereof engage the adjacent walls of the article and, through the cooperation of the mandrel, hold these walls iirmly in place. Through the action of the cams 59, the controlling portions of the units 2| and 22 may move inwardly greater distances than their respective holding members, these additional movements of the controlling members compressing the springs 81 to increase,- the holding force between the holding members and the mandrei.` f e While the holding members for the units 2| and 22 are completing their movement intoholding positions, the shearing elements for the units 23 and 24 are being moved toward each other through the engagement of their cams 5 8 with their cam rollers 13. Thus, immediately following the positioning of the holding members .of the units 2| and 22, to hold their sides of the article against buckling during the shearing operation on the intermediate sides, the shearing elements 01 of the units 23 and 24 begin their shearing operation.

During the movement of the shearing elements. into engagement with their respective walls of ther article, the cooperating shearing edges, 96 and 91 rst shear the articleat the lines desired to form' the nal edge of the article, and after this shearing operation has been completed further. inward movement of the shearing elements will cause, through the cooperation of the shearing edges 99 and |00, severing at the center line of the sheared portions resulting from the first shearing operation, as illustrated in Fig. 8. lAs a result of the operation thus far described, two sides of the article have been formed and freed of their excess materials and these materials have been sheared into two portions as illustrated in Fig. 8. `These portions, however, remain connected to the portions to be removed from the other two sides of the article. Thus far the apparatus has completed only one half of its cycle of operation in one direction,V or one quarter of its complete operating cycle. In other words, only one pair of each set of cams 58 and 59 have been moved intoreg-istration with the units to cause the holding means of the units 2| and 22 to hold their respective -sides of the article while the shearing elements of the units 23 and 24 perform their shearing operations.

Now consider the remaining movement of the cams and their cam supporting members in the counterclockwise direction, the other pairs of cams are moved` into engagement with the units to cause the holding members of the units 23 Vand 24 to holdV their respective sides of the container while theA shearing elements of the units 2| and 22 perform their shearing operations. During this portion of the operating cycle, substantially the` same operations take place except upon the unfinished side of the article. First, the shearing edges 91 of the shearing'elements of the units 23.'.and 24, in cooperation with the adjacent shearing edges 96 of the forming portion 95, shear the undesired portions from the container at the lines where the finished edges of the container are to be, and immediately thereafter, through the cooperation of the shearing edges 99 and |00, shear the excess material, each into two portions. At this time all of the excess material has been removed from the container, leaving the edges as illustrated in Fig. 11, and the excess material has been sheared into four portions so that, through the aid of the air under pressure directed by the nozzles IUT at these respective portions, they. will be forced from the apparatus, leaving the mandrel free thereof t receive another article or container'as shown in Fig. 10.

At the completion of the half cycle, when the holding members and the shearing elements of all`the units have performed their respective functions and the remaining portions removed from the apparatus, the yapparatus may be returned to its normal or starting position through the control of the valve 55 to force fluid under pressure through the line 53 to the top of the cylinder 5|. Through -this operation the units perform, in reverse order, their cycles of operation, although no shearing operations take place. Upon removal of the finished article (Fig. 11) another article, as illustrated in Fig. may be disposed upon the mandrel and the operation repeated.

In the description of the mandrel 20, the shearing edges 96 and IUD of the forming portion,95 have been described as integral portions of the mandrel. It should be understood that in actual practice it may be desired to have the mandrel and the forming portion formed of different materials, that is, the forming portion with the shearing edges may be formed of tool steel while the mandrel may be formed of other less expensive materials if so desired. Furthermore, in Fig. 6 the interengagement of the working ends of the holding members 82 and their respective shearing elements 61 cooperate in forming the projecting portions I8 of the article (Fig. 11), the forming portion 95 with its shearing edges 96 also being of a contour so that the edges of the finished container may be of the contour shown.

Although specic improvements of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein Without departing from the scope and spirit `of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A trimming apparatus comprising a mandrel to receive an article whose edge is to be trimmed, units comprising holding members and shearing elements, and means adapted to actuate the members and elements in a given sequence to cause the holding member of one -unit to hold the article during operation of the shearing -element of another unit to shear the edge ofthe article. v 2. A trimming-apparatus comprising a mandrel to receive an article whose edge is to be trimmed, units comprising holding members and shearing elements, means adapted to alternately actuate the members of the units to cause them to hold the article, and means adapted to alternately actuate the elements of the units in a reverse order to cause shearing of the article by the elements of one unit during the holding of .the article `by the holding member of the other unit during each shearing operation.

3. A trimming apparatus comprising a. mandrel to receive a hollow article having a continuous edge to be trimmed, a shearing member` disposed adjacent the mandrel and having a shearing edge disposed adjacent the said continuous edge and another shearing edge disposed at an angle with respect to the rst shearing edge, and a shearing element having shearing edges cooperating with the shearing edges of the said member t0 shear a length of material from the said continuous edge of the article and to shear the said length of material into a plurality of parts.

4. A trimming apparatus comprisinga mandrel toreceive a hollow article having a continuous edge to be trimmed, a shearing member disposed adjacentthe mandrel and having a shearing edge disposed adjacent the said continuous edge and other shearing edges disposed at angles with respectto thel rst shearing edge, and shearing elements each having shearing edges cooperating with the shearing edges of the said member to individually shear their respective lengths of material from the said continuous edge of the article and to shear their lengths into a pluralitv of parts.

5. A trimming apparatus comprising a mandrel to receivea hollow article having a continuous edge to be trimmed, a shearing member disposed adjacent the mandrel and having a shearing edge disposed adjacent the said continuous edge and other shearing edges disposed at angles with respect to the rst shearing edge, shearing elements each having shearing edges cooperating with the shearing edges of the said member to individually shear their respective lengths of material from the said continuous edge of the article and to shear their lengths into a plurality of parts, and means to remove the parts. 6. A trimming apparatus comprising a mandrel adapted to support a hollow article having flat sides and intermediate corners and an edge to be trimmed,a shearing member with a shearing edge disposed in the article on the mandrel, actuable shearing elements having shearing edges of contours adapted to cooperate with the shearing edge of the member to start shearing their respective flat sides of the article intermediate the corners thereof and continue their shearing in both directions from their starting positions to their corners, and holding members operable to hold sides of the article in engagement with the mandrel during the shearing operations.

7. A trimming apparatus comprising a mandrel adaptedv to support a hollow article having flat sides and intermediate corners and an edge to be trimmed, a shearing member with a shearing edge disposed in the article on the mandrel, a shearing element having a shearing edge adapted to cooperate with the shearing edge off the member to start shearing a iiat side of the article adjacent the center thereof and continue to shear in both directions therefrom, and holding members adapted to externally engage and hold the other iiat sides against buckling during operation of the shearing element.

8. A trimming apparatus comprising a mandrel adapted to support a hollow article having at sides and intermediate corners andan edge to be trimmed, a shearing member with a shearing edge disposed in the article on the mandrel, actuable shearing elements having shearing 4 edges of contours adapted to cooperate with the shearing edge of the member to start shearing their respective flat sides of the article intermediate the corners thereof and continue their shearing in both directions from their starting positions to their corners, means to actuate alternately positioned elements and subsequently actuate the intermediate elements, and means alternately actuable to hold the sides intermediate those being sheared.

9. A trimming apparatus comprising a mandrel to receive an article whose edge is to be trimmed, units comprising holding members 'and shearing elements, and cam means adapted to alternately actuate the members in a given sequence to cause the holding members to hold spaced portions of the article and to alternately actuate the elements in a reverse order to cause shearing of the intermediate portions of the article.

10. A trimming apparatus comprising a mandrel to receive an article whose edge is to be trimmed, units comprising holding members and shearing elements, annular cams adapted to actuate the members and elements of each unit in a given alternate sequence to cause shearing of spaced portions by certain of the elements during holding of the intermediate portions and then holding of the sheared portions during shearing of the said intermediate portions, and means to actuate the cams.

11. A trimming apparatus comprising a mandrel to, receive a hollow article thereon having a continuous edge to be trimmed, a shearing member disposed adjacent the mandrel in the article and having shearing edges lying in different parallel planes and connected by other shearing edges, and actuableshearing elements having shearing edges of contours adapted to cooperate with the shearing edges of the member to shear the said continuous edge of the contour of thel combined shearing edges of the shearing member.

12. A trimming apparatus lcomprising a mandrel to receive a hollow article thereon having a continuous edge to be trimmed, a shearing member disposed adjacent the man drel in the article and having shearing edges lying in dif- 'ferent parallel planes and connected by other NATI-IANIEL M. OLNE'Y. 

